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Khem Palace
Khem Palace is a royal residence in Aqqak City. It serves as the metropolitan residence of the Elected Monarch when he or she travels to the financial capitol usually for government business. Other members of the imperial and royal families occupy the palace for stints or, less often, permanently. For example, The Prince Regent MumenhessAnkhKhem and his consort Princess Ajōrēshakheto were known to prefer living near federal government offices so that The Prince Regent could stay abreast of political developments. They resided full time at Khem Palace toward the end of their reign. Foreign dignitaries are also frequently hosted at the palace when visiting on official business and several federal government agencies maintain office space within the building. The palace is notable for its stark departure from typical Hawu architecture which tends to favor Neo-Irakawan, Esinsundu Futurist, and Artanian styles. Construction and Layout The palace was commissioned in 4132 by Prince MumenhessAnkhKhem The Prince Regent with funds from the royal family's Royal Monuments Endowment. The Prince took an active interest in the details and day-to-day business of government in contrast to his predecessors as head of state who tended to pursue political neutrality in their public images. The monarch's principal residence, in Nekhatw, was situated at too great a distance to facilitate the high level of interaction with government officials sought by the Prince. Prince MumenhessAnkhKhem resented residing at hotels when visiting the financial capitol, considering them to be beneath the dignity of the monarch. Aqqak's notoriously heavy traffic also necessitated extended travel times when in the city on business even when traveling by helicopter due to the high presence of big business and multinationals in the area. In Spring 4132, the Prince directed the trustees of the Royal Monuments Endowment to survey available lands as near as possible to the federal government's presidential and ministerial office facilities. The trustees returned several weeks later with plots of various sizes throughout Aqqak. The narrowest of the proposed plots was personally selected by the Prince due to its close proximity to the offices of the president. A subsequent Call for Proposals issued to leading Hawu architecture firms saw the Prince award the design contract to Aqqak native Reshard Hamše Curry. Prince MumenhessAnkhKhem was reported to admire Curry's re-imaginings of traditional Artanian styles, an attribute which proved key to the project's success. Due to the plot's narrow space, the design and construction teams were forced to abandon stylings traditionally employed in royal, religious, and monumental buildings, all of which tended to be constructed on wide foundations taking full advantage of usually extensive acreage. Because the new palace would be forced to fit between already-constructed neighboring office buildings, and because the palace would require a large number of both public and private rooms for use by the wide array of persons and officials likely to visit, Curry's firm chose to build at high altitude on a narrow foundation. To make the building stand out from commercial skyscrapers nearby, Curry chose to construct the facade with black brick in homage to the Prince's regnal name, part of which means 'black,' and trim the facade with gold brick as indication of the Prince's royal status. The palace completed construction in 4136 at a total cost of $230 million. The Royal Monuments Endowment established a naming committee chaired by Princess Ajōrēshakheto which unanimously selected the name Khem Palace. Category:Buildings and locations in Hawu Mumenhes Category:Royal residences in Hawu Mumenhes Category:Landmarks